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Change indicator
2.6%up 0.2 points from Jul 2026August 2026 · released 2 Oct 2026
Japan −0.6 ptsIreland −2.6 ptsover 10 years
Compare with: Ireland
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By region
Asia-Pacific5
AustraliaMalaysiaSingaporeNew ZealandPhilippines
Europe22
GermanyFranceUnited KingdomNetherlandsEstoniaIrelandLatviaSloveniaCroatiaCzechiaLithuaniaPortugalAustriaDenmarkFinlandLuxembourgNorwaySwedenSpainPolandItalyBelgium
Middle East1
Saudi Arabia
North America3
CanadaUnited StatesMexico
South America2
ChileColombia

Key data points

Last release
2 Oct 2026
Observation period
August 2026
Next release
22 Oct 2026, 23:30 UTC
Previous
2.4% Jul 2026
Highest
5.8% Mar 2003
Lowest
0.9% Oct 1963
A year ago
2.6%
Data since
1953

Indicator info

Category
Labour
Source
Statistics Bureau of Japan, Cabinet Office of Japan, Japan Customs
Frequency
Monthly
Units
Percent

The share of the labour force that is out of work and actively looking for a job.

Labour force participation rateAug 202664.2%Inflation rateAug 20261.9%Consumer price indexAug 2026102.2GDP growth rateQ2 20260.7%

Reports

Released 2 Oct 20262.6%August 2026
Next release, 23:30 UTC22 Oct 2026August 2026

History

PeriodValueChange
August 20262.6%+0.2
July 20262.4%−0.1
June 20262.5%−0.1
May 20262.6%−0.1
April 20262.7%−0.1
March 20262.8%+0.2
February 20262.6%0.0
January 20262.6%+0.2
December 20252.4%0.0
November 20252.4%−0.2
October 20252.6%0.0
September 20252.6%0.0
August 20252.6%

Common questions

What is the unemployment rate in Japan now?

The unemployment rate in Japan was 2.6% in August 2026, up 0.2 points from Jul 2026. The figure was released on 2 Oct 2026.

When is the next unemployment rate release for Japan?

The next release is scheduled for 22 Oct 2026, 23:30 UTC, covering August 2026.

What are the highest and lowest values of the unemployment rate in Japan?

In data since 1953, the highest was 5.8% in Mar 2003 and the lowest was 0.9% in Oct 1963.

Where does this data come from?

Published by Statistics Bureau of Japan, Cabinet Office of Japan, Japan Customs, and shown here exactly as published. Publishers revise figures, and the latest published figure replaces the earlier one.

Source
Statistics Bureau of Japan, Cabinet Office of Japan, Japan Customs
Economics methodology →
API
GET /v1/economics/JPN/unemployment
Economics API →